


Betty, Come Home

by livethatfantasy



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, College, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Summer, rebel betty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-06-30
Packaged: 2018-11-13 01:36:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11174295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livethatfantasy/pseuds/livethatfantasy
Summary: They all had a plan. They’d graduate together, spend the summer having the time of their lives, and in the fall, start their college journey together. The four of them, together forever. It was the perfect plan.But not for Betty. At least, not anymore. The events of the past year took a toll on the girl-next-door, and after Polly’s death, she’d had enough. She wanted nothing more than to run away and leave everything Riverdale behind. So when she’s accepted into an incredible summer program, Betty does exactly that.A story about the Riverdale gang the summer before college, or, the story of how Betty escaped her Riverdale mold and created her own identity.(Events of the show are the same, except they took place during their senior year of high school. Events of the second season do not exist in this story)





	1. Somewhere Far Away From Here (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Lyric from 'Sign of the Times' - Harry Styles.

**Early June**

 

       “Betty, please! Can you stop moving for a second and explain to us what’s going on?” Archie exclaimed as he franticly followed Betty around.

       Betty ran back and forth from her house to her car, packing in boxes and suitcases. She attempted to drown out the voices of Archie and Veronica, focusing all her attention on the task at hand.

       Of course, they had every right to be mad. After all, she only told them about the summer program an hour ago…over text. Betty knew they were against the idea of her leaving. It ruined their grand summer plans. Their campaign trip, their late pop’s runs for milkshakes, every thrown out the window because Betty needed a break. They wanted her to stay. They expected her to stay. It was expectations like these that motivated Betty’s departure. The expectations of the school, her parents, even her friends pissed Betty off to no end. The whole town’s obsession with keeping everything the same, despite everything that’s happened, made her feel sick.

       “B, please talk to us. Why are you doing this?” Veronica pleaded, stepping in front of the trunk, blocking Betty from placing the final box in the car.

       “I already told you,” Betty snapped, pushing Veronica aside. Betty set the final box down and faced them, ”I can’t stand it here any more. I’m sorry. It’s only six weeks. I know it’s selfish, but it’s what I have to do.”

       “You’re right. It is selfish.” said Veronica. She gave one final look at Betty, and stomped away to her car. Betty knew she should go after her. But Betty didn’t move. She was tired of fixing things.

       That left Archie. He stood there, tears forming in his eyes. “Please, Betty. Stay. We need you here.” begged Archie.

       Betty felt the most guilty about leaving Archie. He wasn’t the same person after his father was shot, and she knew leaving him wouldn’t help at all. But Archie wasn’t the only person suffering. Jughead’s dad went to prison. The Blossoms lost a father and a son. Betty lost Polly. Loss and suffering became the new normal in Riverdale.

       Betty hugged Archie, “I’m sorry Archie. I really am, but I need to do this. For myself.” she said, pulling away from him and placing a gentle kiss on his cheek.

       Betty looked over at her parents, who waved at her from the doorway. Surprisingly, it was them who understood Betty’s logic the most. After all, they lost a daughter. Betty thinks they would run too, if it wasn’t for the paper (or their Riverdale legacy).

       It was a few months back, at the beginning of spring. Polly, in labor, died suddenly from an undiagnosed heart condition. And due to the trauma, the twins passed away too. Betty doesn’t remember the day Polly died. Her mind simply refuses her access to those memories. She only remembers the days that followed. Betty, sleeping for hours on end. Veronica and Archie, sitting on her bed with her, trying to distract her from real life. Jughead, his arm around her, silent, but comforting.

       Betty got into her car and pulled out of her driveway. Before she could get away, Archie, with a look of concern on his face, ran up at knocked on her window.

       Frustrated, Betty rolled down the window, “Yes, Archie?”

       “Does Jughead know?”

       Betty looked away from Archie, hiding the tears that were threatening to fall, “No, he doesn’t. You’re welcome to tell him once I’m gone. Not that it would matter.”

       “C'mon, you know that it does Betty. He cares about you…a lot.” said Archie, “I know you guys aren’t doing well these days but that doesn’t mean you can just cut him off from-“

       “Archie. Stop.” Betty interrupted, wiping away a tear, “I’m leaving, okay? I’ll talk to you soon.”

       And before Archie could say anything else, Betty drove away.

 

* * *

 

       She drove through town, past the school, past Pop’s, until she got to a red light. Betty stopped and waited. Despite the hectic night she’d had, Betty felt relaxed as the cool evening breeze blowing through the open window crossed her face. Suddenly, a familiar voice appeared, and Betty, out of habit, searched for its source. 

       Jughead was walking along the empty street towards Betty’s car, talking on his cellphone. He hadn’t seen her, and Betty ducked down hoping to prevent any interaction.

       “Leaving? What do you mean she’s leaving?” Jughead asked, practically yelling into the phone. Archie called him, of course, as a last ditch effort to make Betty stay.

       Jughead looked up and saw Betty. He ran toward her car.

       “Betty, what’s going on?! Where are you going?” Jughead yelled. But, as Jughead approached her car, the light turned green, and Betty sped away.

       Betty watched Jughead get smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. Part of her wanted to turn around so she could kiss him one more time. But instead, she travelled forward, into the sunset. And as Betty passed the ‘Leaving Riverdale’ sign, she felt, for the time in her life, truly free.


	2. Fight It, Take the Pain, Ignite It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Lyric from 'Holding on to You' - Twenty One Pilots

****Thursday, Week One** **

**One Week Later**

 

       It didn’t take Betty that long to settle into life on campus. She welcomed every new opportunity, every new friends. She was having the time of her life.

       Betty’s classes started on Monday. She was taking one on Forensic Science and another on Criminology. The past year’s investigation into the Blossoms sparked something inside Betty, and now she was fascinated with anything to do with criminal investigation. Betty found it a bit disturbing that Jason’s death triggered this newfound passion, but she didn’t let that bother her. Betty was happy, and she wanted to stay that way.

       Her first friend was her roommate, Marcy. Marcy was the kind of girl that didn’t take shit from anybody. Her filter was non-existent and she constantly speaking her mind. Marcy and Betty were polar opposites, and that’s what made them friends.

       Even their appearances contrasted each other. Betty’s blonde ponytail and pink shirts clashed with Marcy’s long bright blue hair and winged eyeliner. However, their differences didn’t stop them from becoming close.

       Marcy was sitting across from Betty on her twin bed. They were each drinking hot chocolate, and trading stories about their lives. It had become their nightly routine.

       Each night, Marcy opened up to Betty, and Betty opened up to Marcy. Marcy told Betty about her friends, and Betty told Marcy about Veronica and Archie. Marcy talked about her boyfriend, and Betty told her about Jughead. And when Marcy told Betty about her family, Betty told Marcy about hers. She told her everything that happened over the past year. She talked about Jason, how his death destroyed Riverdale. And, when Betty was ready, she told Marcy about Polly.

       The usually chatty Marcy, upon hearing the story of Betty’s sister, fell silent. Minutes passed, and finally, Marcy broke the silence.

       “Betty. I don’t even know what to say. I’m so sorry.” Marcy reached out and held Betty’s hand.

       “It’s okay,” reassured Betty, “I’m working through it. Being here is helping.”

       “Is there anything I can do?” Marcy asked.

       Betty shook her head.

 

* * *

**Friday, Week One**

**The Next Day**

 

       Betty was usually the perfect student. She always payed attention in class, asked questions, and took tedious notes. But not today. Today, Betty could barely listen to the criminology professor speak for a minute before doodling in her notebook, or, as Betty was doing now, look out the window.

       Outside, it was a perfect summer afternoon. The sun shone brightly, but as it disappeared behind clouds, Betty’s reflection stared back at her from the window.

       Betty didn’t consider herself to be an extremely naïve person. She didn’t look at herself in the mirror religiously. But nowadays, Betty avoided mirrors like the plague. She learned how to do her makeup without one, and her ponytails became messier and messier. She hated her reflection now. It reminded her too much of Polly.

       Class ended. Betty packed up her things and made her way back to the dorms. As she walked, thoughts of Polly continued to appear in her mind. In particular, Betty could not stop thinking about Polly’s blonde hair, and its similarities to her own.

       Betty attempted to open the dorm room door, but an object blocked the door’s path.

       “Whoops. Sorry!” Marcy chirped, getting out of the way of the door. Betty plopped down on the bed, emotionally and mentally exhausted. She pulled a book out of her bag and tried to read, but she must have left her motivation in Riverdale because, try as she might, her mind would not absorb any information.

       It wasn’t long before Marcy returned to her spot behind the door. Marcy positioned herself in front of the full length mirror which hung on the door’s back and began to examine her hair. Putting her book down, Betty watched Marcy, curious as to what she was doing. However, her curiosity turned soon turned into panic as Marcy picked up a pair of scissors and started to cut her hair.

       “Uh, Marcy?” said Betty, “What are you doing?”

       “My bangs were driving me crazy. It felt like they were going into my eyes. I desperately need to fix them.” she explained, continuing her work.

       “Marcy?” asked Betty, “Do you know how to cut hair?”

       Marcy laughed, “Do you think I’d tempt fate by cutting my own bangs if I didn’t?”

       Betty smiled at her roommate. Marcy did mention her mom being a hair dresser, so it does make sense that Marcy picked up a few skills.

       Once again, Betty was again reminded of her own hair. She hated it. It’s not fair that her heart hurt every time she saw her blonde ponytail out of the corner of her eye. But, as she looked back at Marcy and her bright blue hair, she got an idea.

       “Hey Marcy, do you dye your own hair too?” asked Betty.

       “Yeah I do, why do you ask?” she answered.

       Betty took a deep breath.

       “Will you help me dye my hair?”


	3. Get Born Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: Lyric from "Born Again" - Saint Motel

** Friday, Week One **

** That Same Afternoon **

 

       Marcy was a genuinely supportive person. After a _Legally Blonde_ moment (“But Betty, you’re a natural blonde. That’s a God-given gift"), all it took for Marcy to say yes was Betty’s brief explanation of “I look too much like my sister”. After that, Marcy never questioned Betty again.

       Now, here they stood, in front of a mirror inside of a beauty supply shop, trying to decide what shade to dye Betty’s golden locks. 

       Betty had already vetoed all of the fashion colors (“I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of change.”) so now it was down to the natural shades. 

       “What about red?” proposed Marcy, holding a bright auburn hair extension up to Betty’s head. 

       “Definitely not.” replied Betty, shaking her head. It reminded her too much of Archie. Not to mention red was the Blossom’s signature color, and the last thing Betty wanted to do was remind the town of Betty’s Blossom heritage. 

       “Okay, so. . .black?” asked Marcy.

       At first, Betty thought black was the one. She loved how dark and mysterious it was. But then she thought about her friends. Would she look too much like Veronica? Or would it look like she was trying to match Jughead? Betty shook her head no. She needed a color that was only hers.

       Out of the corner of her eye, Betty spotted a wig. It was a gorgeous shade of chocolate brown, like something out of a Godiva advertisement. Betty grabbed the wig and tried it on, and quickly fell in love. 

       “I want my hair to look like this.” decided Betty.

       Marcy sighed in relief, “Finally! Betty, the queen of indecisiveness makes a decision.” laughed Marcy, taking the wig off of Betty’s head, “Let’s go find this color.”

       They hunted around, trying to find the perfect dye for Betty’s dream hair. After looking through the whole store, they finally found one in the clearance section. It was an exact match.

       “One issue Betty,” said Marcy as she examined the box, “This one’s permanent. There’s no going back. You sure about this?”

       Betty looked Marcy in the eyes, “Fuck yes.”

       Betty grabbed the box from Marcy and paid, a newfound spring in her step.

       Marcy and Betty grabbed the bus back, and on the ride, Betty thought about Marcy, and how caring and supportive she is. Would her friends back home have been this willing to help Betty do this? Would they have tried to talk her out of it? She rid her mind of those thoughts. She didn’t need her friends’ approval. This was her life. Not theirs. 

* * *

 

** Friday, Week One **

** That Evening **

 

       By the time they got back to campus and ate dinner, it was getting pretty late. Half the campus was asleep, and the other half was out partying. 

       They set up shop inside one of the bathrooms. It’d empty till the next morning, perfect for life-changing hairstyle decisions. Betty left in search of a chair and Marcy gathered supplies. 

       When Betty arrived with a chair, Marcy was busy mixing things together. “You ready?” she asked, holding out a towel for Betty.

       “So ready.” replied Betty, draping the towel around her shoulders. 

       Marcy began spreading the dark mixture over Betty’s hair, “So Betty,” said Marcy,”Seeing as I am your hairdresser for the evening, I feel like you have to tell me everything about you. After all, is it really a hair appointment if you don’t tell the hairdresser your life story?”

       Betty laughed, “I think you already know everything about me.”

       “Come on Betty, we both know that’s not true.” replied Marcy, brushing more product into her hair.

       Betty replied, “Well, what do you want to know?”

       “How about you tell me about your boyfriend. Jughead, was it?” asked Marcy. 

       “Yeah, but I already told you about him.” answered Betty, trying to avoid the subject.

       “No, you said, ‘I have a boyfriend named Jughead.’ and then you changed topics.” said Marcy, “Come on Betty, why won’t you talk about him?”

       Where does Betty even start? There’s so much she could tell Marcy. So many little moments that lead to their rise (and eventual fall). The story of Betty and Jughead could fill volumes. Sometimes even Betty herself can’t wrap her mind around their story. 

       “C’mon Marcy, I told you way more than that. It’s just . . . Jughead and I, we’re not exactly, . . . speaking at the moment.” said Betty, her voice growing quiet.

       “What happened? Did you guys get into a fight?” asked Marcy, who, after giving up on the brush, had started scooping product up in her hands and working it into her hair. 

       “No, not a fight. At least, not at first. It was after he joined… well remember when I was talking about his father, F.P.?” Marcy nodded, “Well, he joined his father’s gang. After that, he stopped telling me about his life. At first, he would still share tidbits here and there. But then, one day, he just shut me out. Then, all we’d ever talk about was my life, my problems, my thoughts. Never his. It felt like I was in a relationship with a wall.”

       Marcy finished putting the dye in Betty’s hair, taking her gloves off, and sat on the ground in front of Betty.

       “So, the day after we graduated, I asked him about his life. Jughead told me he didn’t want me to get involved, that it was best that I didn’t know about it. I kept pushing him to talk. I was so desperate for a two-sided conversation. But I guess I pushed him too hard. He cracked. He started yelling at me. I started yelling at him. After awhile, I stormed out.”

       “And then?” replied Marcy.

       “He texted me later that night,” continued Betty, “He tried to apologize. I never responded. The next day, I remembered this program. I called them, and basically begged them to still let me in. Something inside me had snapped, I needed to get out of there. Jughead and I fought on Sunday, and that Thursday, I left.”

       Betty neglected to tell Marcy about how badly she wanted to call Jughead, how badly she wanted to be with him again. She also didn’t tell her about running into Jughead on her way out of town. Somethings Betty just wanted to keep to herself.

       “Well Betty Cooper, you sure live an action-packed life.” said Marcy, glancing at her phone,”And according to the timer, you’ve still got 25 more minutes to tell me about it.”

* * *

       “Well, what do you think?” asked Marcy.

       Betty looked at herself in the mirror, gasping out loud. Her once light hair was now a beautiful dark brown. Marcy, in addition to blowing out her hair, had also curled it, so as Betty moved her head back and forth, the shiny curls bounced around, catching the light as they moved.

       Betty looked mature, adult even. She looked nothing like her old self. More importantly, she looked nothing like Polly. 

       “It’s perfect.”


	4. Not the gods can shake the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from "The Past" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

**Wednesday, Week Two**

**Lunchtime**

 

       Betty has never been an avid social media user. She got a Facebook this year, and only to keep connected with her friends after high school. She never posts on it, and goes on it only when she is truly bored. 

       Instagram is the only other social media Betty has. She uses it much more frequently. Sometimes to post, but mostly to like things. Betty loves to see what her friends are up to in their lives, but Betty rarely updates them on hers.

       Betty debated for awhile about posting a photo of her new hair (which, by the way, she is still obsessed with) but Betty wasn't so sure about it. It was Marcy that talked her into it. Marcy thought it would be an easy way to update her friends on how she's doing, without having to reach out to them individually. Seeing how Betty had not talked to any of them for weeks, she decided that this was a good plan. 

       Marcy helped her take the photo. In the University's library, there is a wall of windows. The photo was of Betty looking out of the windows. She wasn't facing the camera, so the photo only showed a small part of her face. She borrowed Marcy's baseball hat, and she was wearing a University sweatshirt. With her new hair and new wardrobe, Betty would be unrecognizable to her old friends. 

       Betty's photo got a lot of attention, despite her Instagram lying dormant for weeks. Nobody commented on her hair, which made Betty think that none of them realized it was her in the photo. 

       It was nice for Betty to interact with her friends again, even if it was through something as simple as a like. She wasn't quite ready to return to her old life, but to her, this felt like a good first step. 

       Other than posting that one photo, Betty tried to keep herself away from social media. She felt that going and looking at what her friends were doing with their summers would diminish the fun she was having with hers. Today, however, Betty could not help herself. 

       It was lunchtime, and Betty was sitting at a table, eating. Marcy had a meeting with a teacher, so Betty was alone today. 

       She tried to catch up on her reading, but it was no use. Instead, she put down her book, and picked up her phone. 

       Betty checked Facebook first. There wasn't much on there (as always). Just a few summer pictures and what seemed to be a million grad party invites (for all of which Betty replied "Can't Go" and none of which she felt bad about). After a few minutes scrolling through her feed, Betty decided it was time for her ultimate time waster: Instagram. 

       The last time she had checked it was when she posted her photo, and quite a lot had happened since then. Veroncia and Kevin had spent quite a lot of time on the beach in Riverdale, posting photo after photo of them in their swimsuits, drinking virgin Piña Coladas (at least, Betty hoped they were virgin). 

       Archie had posted a new photo of him as well. It was of him sitting in his garage, playing his guitar. Betty giggled at the seriousness of the photo. Betty always found it funny that Archie tried to act serious and moody on his Instagram, when in fact he was the opposite of that in real life. 

       Betty scrolled down into the comments. Most of them were from girls, who always come flocking whenever Archie does anything ("Archie, you're so handsome." "Wow Archie you're so talented."). There was one comment that stood out. It was from Jughead, and it simply said "Nerd".

       Unsurprisingly, Jughead used his Instagram less than Betty. He only got an account because Betty begged him to. He's never posted anything. Betty, still Instagram-hopping, decided to check out his tagged photos. 

       There were only a couple, mostly from Archie and Betty. The most recent tagged photo was from Betty. It was taken at her graduation. She was wearing her cap and gown, smiling at the camera, holding her diploma proudly. Jughead was next to her, his arms wrapped around Betty, staring lovingly at her face. 

       Betty felt sad looking at the photo. It had only been a few weeks since it was taken, but so much had changed since then. They had changed since then. 

       Betty put down her phone. She'd satisfied her Instagram need for the day. 

* * *

 

 

**Monday, Week Three**

**Afternoon**

 

       The days were going by faster and faster. Betty was caught up in a whirlwind of projects and tests. She's barely had time to think about her Riverdale troubles.

       In her morning class, Betty had aced a pop quiz. So her confidence was through the roof. She hadn't felt this good in a long time, and she was convinced that nothing would bring her down.

       Betty walked into her afternoon class. A policeman sat by the professor, chatting away as the students sat down. Betty took her usual seat by the window, and waited for the class to start.

       The policeman talked to the class about investigative techniques. Betty found the lecture fascinating. She was taking furious notes, trying to jot down every word he said. 

       However, her interest, and her happiness, stopped once the policeman starting taking questions. 

       The first few questions were about famous cases, like Jack the Ripper or the Zodiac Killer, cases that had been dead for many years. But them, one kid raised there hand and asked about Jason. Jason Blossom. Riverdale's Jason. The Jason who's death changed Betty's life for the better, and for the worst. 

       Turns out, the kid who asked the question lived in Greensdale, right across Sweetwater River. He had heard about the case on the news, and wanted to know more about it. 

       Betty was in shock. Just hearing about the case made her ill. It brought up to many memories. Out of her control, her hands went into fists, and her nails found their favorite old spot. She dug into her palms, drawing blood. 

       The pain from her cuts snapped Betty out of her shock induced gaze. She stared at her fingers, the tips covered in blood. Betty wiped off her hands, and, instinctively, grabbed her phone. She needed to talk to someone who would understand what she was feeling. 

       Before she could wrap her mind around what she was doing, Betty had already sent a text to Jughead. 

 _They're talking about Jason in my class. Made me think of you._ It read.

       Betty regretted her decision instantly, and was about to put her phone away when she saw that Jughead was typing. Her heartbeat sped up.

 _Have they mentioned the incredible skills of the two young detectives yet?_ Replied Jughead.

 _No, not yet._ Betty typed.  _But if they don't mention soon I may have to interrupt them and remind them about who really solved the case._

 _You._ Jughead stated.

 _Us._ Betty corrected. 

 _Are you okay? Does hearing them talk about it make you uncomfortable?_ Asked Jughead. 

 _No, I was just shocked when I heard someone bring it up._ Betty answered. 

       Jughead didn't reply for awhile. Betty watched him begin typing and stop, the three dots appearing and disappearing over and over again. Finally, he sent three words. 

_Betty, come home_

      Betty didn't reply. 


	5. Well, Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title- Lyric from Bruce Springsteen "Surprise, Surprise"

**Thursday, Week Three**   
**Morning**

 

       Betty sat in her science class, and in true Betty fashion, her notebook open in front of her, full of copious notes. That day, they were learning about DNA collection at crime scenes. But today, Betty was the only student focused on the lesson. The rest of the students in the class squirmed in their seats, fidgeting with their pens and pencils.

       The next day, Friday, marked the first day of "Friends and Family Weekend". F and F, which is what the students called the weekend, was a four-day weekend at the halfway point of the program. Students would either go home and visit their homes, or, for a few days, their families and friends would come visit and stay at the University. 'F and F' started the next day, so understandably, the students could not care less about DNA at that moment.

       Betty, on the other hand, had zero intentions of going home, and her family, even though they had asked repeatedly, were not coming to visit. Betty had four days of nothing planned ahead of her. That day, Marcy was leaving during lunch, as she was driving down to visit her family. Betty had a long list of Netflix documentaries, a stockpile of junk food, and the dorm room to herself. Betty was pumped for her four day long bingefest.

       Class was ending, and Betty began to pack up her things. Her phone buzzed, so she fished it out of her purse. 

_Hey, hope you are doing alright. Call me if you want to. I miss the sound of your voice._

       The text was from Jughead. He had been texting her at least five times a day since Betty had reached out to him on Monday. Betty had yet to respond to any of his many messaged. She does not think she's ready to let everyone back into her everyday life, especially Jughead. So, for know, and for the foreseeable future, Betty leaves Jughead on read.

       Why should Betty respond to Jughead anyway? He's the one that shut Betty out. Now, Betty's just giving him a taste of his own medicine.   
Betty finished packing up her things, strutting out of the classroom with confidence. Betty was not about to let her broken relationship ruin her exciting weekend of binge watching.

       She walked towards the cafeteria. It was on the opposite side of the campus from the Science building, so she had at least a ten minute walk between her and her lunch. But Betty didn't mind. Outside, it was not as hot as it had been. In fact, it was overcast, the gray clouds blocking the sun's rays. The wind was just chilly enough that Betty had to ditch her short sleeves shirts for the only hoodie that she owned.

       The hoodie was a dark cranberry color. Back in Riverdale, Betty never wore the hoodie in public, as the color was a bit dark for her old self. The new Betty, however, accepted and thoroughly enjoyed the dark color, and she made a note to wear the hoodie more often when fall came around.

       Marcy had even managed to take Betty shopping over the past weekend. Betty didn't buy much, just a pair of black Converse. Nothing too major, but not insignificant. Ever step away from the 'Girl Next Door' Betty considered a milestone.   
Betty phone began to ring, snapping her out of her thoughts. Betty assumed it would be Jughead, as his texts were becoming more and more frequent.

       Betty checked the caller ID. It was her mother.

       "Hello? Mom?" answered Betty.

       "Betty? Hi! How are you doing sweetheart?" asked her mother.

       They chatted for awhile. Betty told her mom about her classes and about Marcy. She hadn't spoken to her mom since she had left, so it was definitely time they reconnected.

       Before Betty knew it, her ten minute walk was over, and she found herself out side of the cafeteria building.

       "Listen Mom," interrupted Betty, "I have to go. It's lunchtime."

       "Okay, just one more thing?" asked Alice.

       "Yeah Mom? What is it?" replied Betty, starting to become irritated.

       Alice started to ramble: "Are you sure you don't want us to come up and visit you? Me and your dad come drive up, or just me if that's what you would like. It's really not that far of a drive, and we'll only come for one day if-"

       Betty cut her mom off, "Listen, mom, I'm fine. I don't need you guys to come up, okay? I'm looking forward to this weekend alone."

       "That's fine, honey," said Alice, clearly disappointed, "I just thought it was worth asking again. I love you."

       "I love you too." mumbled Betty before hanging up. She shoved the phone into her bag, and made her way into the cafeteria.

* * *

 

**Thursday, Week Three**   
**Afternoon**

 

       Betty spent her lunch hour chatting with Marcy. Marcy was telling Betty about a series of funny videos she had recently found online (Betty interpreted 'recently' as 'during my morning class'). So, while they ate, Marcy played the videos for Betty. They were laughing. Loudly. So loudly in fact that they had started to attract the attention of the surrounding students.

       But Betty didn't care. She was happy, and could not give a damn about what other people thought about her. That was, until Marcy nudged Betty's arm.

       In her hysteria, Betty had failed to notice the extremely attractive guy crossing the cafeteria and watching directly towards her.

       "Look Betty," she whispered, "Incoming."

       The boy had short, very curly brown hair. He was tall, at least half a foot taller than Betty, if not more.

       "Hey," the boy said,"You're Betty, right?"

       Betty nodded, too distracted by the boy's blinding white smilie to form words.

       "I think we're in the same Criminology class. Anyways, I'm David." he said.

       "David." Betty said, flashing a smile back at him,"It's nice to meet you, David"

       "Listen," David started, "I won't take up anymore of your lunchtime. I just wanted to come over here and tell you that you're very beautiful, and, from what I can tell from class, very smart."

       Betty blushed. It had been awhile since she'd heard that from a guy. She blushed even more when she saw David pull a pen out of his back pocket and scribble his phone number onto a napkin.

       "I'm leaving for F and F right now, but I was thinking, when I get back, that maybe we could hang out?" David asked, looking directly into Betty's eyes.

       "Definitely." replied Betty.

       And, with a wave goodbye, David left. Behind him, David left a stunned Betty and a giggling Marcy. 

       "Well, well, well," said Marcy, "Looks like old Bets here will be over Jughead in no time." 

       "Shut up Marce." said Betty, flinching at the sound of Jughead's name. 

       "Calm down Betty, I'm only teasing you." replied Marcy as they went to dump their trays,"But seriously, you should consider his offer. He's super hot. Plus, I could tell you were totally into him."

       Betty said goodbye to Marcy, as she was leaving right after her afternoon class, and made her way to her class. As she walked, she pulled David's number napkin out of her back pocket and put it in her phone. And, as she sat down in class, she sent him a text.

        _Hey, it's Betty. It was nice meeting you today. Text me when you get back in town xo_

       Betty felt a pang of guilt. Should she really start something with David? After all, her and Jughead aren't broken up. Betty didn't even know if she wanted to break up with him. 

       Betty turned off her phone and went to put it away, but before she could, she got another text. She hoped it would be from David, but, as always, it was from Jughead. 

       This time, he sent a photo. It was of Hot Dog, the favorite pet of the Southside Serpents. The dog was pouting (Betty assumed he was begging for food, as Jughead loved to taunt Hot Dog) and Jughead captioned it: _Hot Dog misses you very much!!_

       Betty smiled at the adorable dog, reminiscing about the times her and Jughead spent at F.P.'s old trailer. Betty's favorite dates were when they used to curl up on the couch and watch movies. Jughead's arm wrapped around her as he gave his commentary on the films. Hot Dog would always lay on their feet, but eventually he always ended up in one of their laps. 

       Class started, and Betty finally put her phone away. Instead, she took out her notebook and pen, and started taking notes as the teacher began to speak. However, Betty's phone didn't stay away for long. Only ten minutes went by before she noticed the familiar glow of the phone's screen in her purse. Betty slowly reached for it, hoping to not catch the teacher's attention. At this point, the phone had gone to sleep again, so Betty hit the on button once more to light up the screen. It was from Jughead, and, instantly, Betty was confused. 

        _Have you gotten there yet?_

       Breaking her streak of silence, Betty responded with _what?_

       Jughead quickly responded: _oops, sorry Bets. Wrong person_

       Betty put her phone away for good, and focused for the rest of class.

       When Class was over, Betty packed up as always, and started to make her way to her dorm. She noticed how strange and empty the campus felt. Betty enjoyed the quiet as she walked to her building. 

       But, as Betty walked past the Housing parking lot, her breath evaded her. 

       In the parking lot sat a pickup truck. It was green with silver accents. It looked exactly like Archie's. It can't be his. There's thousands of cars like that. Plus, there's no way Archie came to visit her. 

       Something moved behind the car. Betty's heart started pounding. She could have sworn she saw a flash of red hair. Building her courage, Betty walked closer to the car.

       "Archie?" Betty called out.

       Archie stepped out from behind the car, a puzzled look on his face.

       "Betty?"


End file.
